When Lily, our 12-year-old toy poodle mix, first started licking and chewing on her paw, I assumed she had some dirt stuck between her toes or simply felt a little itchy. We cleaned her paws and gave her a medicated bath, hoping that would take care of any discomfort.
But a few days later, she started to limp. And even though nothing was obviously wrong with her leg, I immediately suspected the potential culprit. It’s something Marin Humane warns dog guardians about quite frequently: the dreaded foxtail.
Foxtail plants grow in fields, along the side of the road and even in your yard. The trouble starts when the foxtails dry out in spring and summer, changing from green to beige and becoming stiff and sharp.
These pesky, bristly plants grow in abundance throughout California and got their name because of their foxlike tails created by the bristly awns of the plant. Thanks to their spikes, they can easily become entangled in pet fur — but that’s not nearly the worst of it.
Once they’re embedded, foxtails can only move forward because of their barbed shape. This means they can migrate deeper and deeper into your dog’s skin if they aren’t found right away. They also don’t break down in the body so they can lead to abscesses and infections if lodged in the skin or in a paw.
Staying away from grassy areas where foxtails are in abundance is the first step you can take in keeping your dog safe. If you find foxtail plants in your own yard, be sure to pull them right away. But since we know foxtails are fairly unavoidable, there are other things you can do to keep your dog foxtail-free.
When you come home from a hike, do a thorough check of your dog’s body, taking special care to check their nose, eyes, ears and paws. There are some telltale warning signs that your pup’s being bothered by an errant foxtail, so keep an eye out for these:
• Licking or chewing their paw. This can mean a foxtail is lodged between their toes or in a pad.
• Pawing at their ears, eyes or nose. Foxtails can get stuck in all of these sensitive spots.
• Frequent or intense sneezing, or discharge from the nose. Foxtails are easily inhaled when your dog goes about their usual sniffing.
• Discharge and swelling around the eye. Even if you can’t see a foxtail upon first glance, it may have migrated into the eye.
• A head tilt or head shaking. This can be a sign of a foxtail stuck in an ear.
Some dogs can benefit from a mesh hood, such as the OutFox Field Guard. While the hood may look a bit unusual, it keeps your dog’s eyes, nose and ears safely foxtail-free while still allowing them to breathe, sniff, play and even drink like they normally would.
If your dog does end up with an embedded foxtail, a trip to your veterinarian is in order. Waiting will only allow the foxtail to move deeper into the skin, so don’t delay. Your veterinarian will be able to safely remove the pesky awn while also treating any possible infection.
As for our sweet Lily, we were lucky to get her seen at her veterinarian the following day. And indeed, they extracted a bloody foxtail from her paw. A few days of the dreaded cone of shame and a course of antibiotics later, Lily has completely recovered from the ordeal. While it was heartbreaking to see her suffer before (and after) her procedure, I’m grateful we recognized the danger quickly.
Carina DeVera is the digital marketing manager for Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane.org, find us on social media @marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.
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